Point-changing apparatus.



1).. D..SAMAIA'. POINT CHANGING APPARATUS.

A IPLIOA'I .ION FILED SEPT. 16, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETZRS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

D. D. SAMAIA.

POINT CHANGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HE NORRIS PETERS cm. wnsnmc'rolv, o. c.

D. D. SAMAIA.

POINT CHANGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1909.

Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

whuonms PETERS 0a., WASHINGTON, n. c.

D. D. SAMA IA.

POINT CHANGING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED SIB-P116, 190B.

Patented May 2, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

DINO DAVIDE SAMAIA, 0F VICENZA, ITALY.

POINT-CHANGING- APPARATUS.

eeaeow.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed September 16, 1909. Serial No. 518,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DINO DAVIDE SAMAIA, a gentleman, residing at' Vicenza, Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Point-Changing Apparatus for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in point shifting devices for railways and has for its object the improvement of a piston whereby the points may be shifted either by hand or by a passing vehicle.

The invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a system embodying one form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line CD of Fig. 1. Fig. 2" is a detail view of parts shown in Fig. 1 at the lower left hand side thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the system with some of the parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a crosssectional view. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with parts in another position. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the parts in still another position.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As shown the points are connected with each other by bars 37 and 38. Bar 38 is provided with looking openings 34 and 54 and bar 37 is provided with looking. openings 35 and 53. A locking lever 36 is pivotally mounted at 36 between its ends and is disposed between the bars 37 and 38. One end of the lever 36 is provided with an upturned projection adapted for engagement with the locking openings 34 and 54 and the other end is provided with a downturned projection adapted for engagement with the locking openings 35 and 53. It will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 2

.that when the lever 36 is moved in one direction both of the projections will be free from the bars and when moved in an other direction both of the projections will be engaged with the bars. A spring 41 is provided for normally holding said lever 36 in an engaging position. The lever 36 is provided with cam surfaces 59 and 59 which face downwardly and cam projections 64 and 64 which face upwardly. The bar 38 is provided with downwardly projecting studs 40, 40 and the bar 37 with downwardly projecting studs 40 and 40.

Below the bars 37 and 38, both of which may be termed point connecting bars, is disposed an actuating bar 39. The actuating bar 39 is mounted in bearings 39 and springs 41, engaging said bearings 39 and washers 6 on the bar 39, normally hold the bar 39 in a central or intervening position. The bar 39 is provided with a double cam 49 adapted to engage the lever 36 and move the same into an unlocking position. The cam 49 is arranged for actuation of the lever 36 irrespective of the movement of the bar 37. The studs 40 and 40 project through slots 52 in the bar 39 and the arrangement of the parts is such that the cam 49 will release the lever 36 from engagement with the bar 37 prior to engagement of the ends of the slots with the studs 40 or 40.

The point connecting bar 37 extends laterally of the track and is provided with a link connection with a rotatable bell crank lever carrying a signal 68 pivoted at 67. A rod 69 is connected with lever 60 and with lever 7 O to control a signal device 71 which may be located at some distance from the point. The bar 39 also extends laterally of the track and is provided with a stud 48 which extends above and below the bar 39 and is adapted for engagement by lost motion levers 42 and 43. By reference to Fig. 1 the construction of the levers will be clear and it may be stated that both of the levers are provided with lugs 46 and 47, as shown.

The lever 42 is connected by a rod 45 with a rotatable manually operable lever 44 and the lever 43 is connected by a rod 56 with any suitable station actuating device. It will thus be seen that the points can be shifted either by hand, adjacent the points, or at a remote station.

I will next describe the arrangement whereby the points may be shifted by a passing vehicle. On opposite sides of the )lVOl] 36 are disposed pairs of actuating locks 30 and 32, the blocks of each pair being disposed on opposite sides of the lever 36. The blocks 32 have projections 63 which are adapted to engage the cam surfaces 64 and 64 and the blocks 30 are provided with projections 58 adapted to engage the cam surfaces 59 and 59. As shown the two pairs of blocks are held in a normal or starting position by weights 61 which are connected with the blocks by cords strained over pulleys, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The blocks 32 are provided with cam surfaces 65 adapted for engagement with the studs 40 and 40 for the purpose of shifting the points. The blocks 30 are also provided with cam surfaces 60 for engagement with the studs 40" and 40 for shifting the points. By reference to Fig. 4: it will be seen that the studs 40 and 410 extend below the bar 39 and into the path of the cam surfaces 60 of the blocks 30. Pivoted trip levers 31 and 33 are disposed between the rails and at points remote from the switch points for actuation by a passing vehicle. The trip levers 31 are connected with the blocks 30 by connections 57 which may be provided with 7 suitable projections adapted to be thrown in the path of either of the trip levers 31 or 33 to throw one or the other of each pair in accordance with the direction in which the points are to be shifted. If the vehicle is going in the direction of arrow 04 and it is desired to shift the points to cause the vehicle to take the straight track the left hand lever 31 will be actuated. If the vehicle is going in the direction of arrow 5 on the straight track the left trip lever 33 would be actuated to switch the points to a position opposite to that shown. If the vehicle were going in the direction of arrow Z) on the branch track the switch points would be in the desired position and no change would be necessary. Provision is made for control ling the position of the switch points from a signal station so that the position of the points will be obtained independently of the vehicle itself. To this end a common form of lever 72, and locking segment therefor is provided in the signal station and is connected by a rod 73 with a lever 74 on a shaft 75, (see Fig. 1).

On the shaft 7 5 is a pair of double acting levers 76 which grip the trip levers 31 on both sides of a projection thereon. lVhen the lever 72 is locked in the position shown in Fig. l the lever76 will hold the trip lever in the full line position so that it cannot be actuated by the passing vehicle. If the lever 7 2 is thrown to the right then the lever 7 6 will actuate the trip lever 31 to throw the same into the dotted line position.

It will be seen by the foregoing that the points can be shifted by an operator standing close to the points who may operate the lever 44, and the points can also be shifted through the lever 43 by the station master at a remote point, and that such shifting will not be interfered with by the passing vehicle. It will also be seen that by operating lever 72 the points can be shifted, irrespective of the action of the vehicle, and locked in their shifted positions.

I claim.-

1. A point shifting apparatus comprising in combination, a bar connected with the points and provided with studs, a lever for locking said bar in its position of adjustment, an actuating bar for engaging said' studs for shifting the point bar and having a cam for operating said lever, and manually operable means having a lost motion connection with said actuating bar for shifting the same.

2. A point shifting apparatus comprising in combination, a bar connected with the points and provided with studs, a lever for locking said bar in its position of adjustment, an actuating bar engaging said studs for shifting the point bar and having a cam for operating said lever, and two sets of manually operable mechanisms each'having .a lost motion connection with said ac tuating bar for shifting the same, one of said mechanisms being adjacent the points and the other being located remote from the points.

3. A point shifting apparatus comprising in combination, bars connected with the points and each having a plurality of studs, a lever pivotally mounted between said bars for locking the same in their adjusted positions, said lever having a plurality of cam surfaces, cam blocks for engaging said sur faces for operatin said lever and also provided with cams for engagement with said studs to operate said point bars, and trip levers connected with said cam blocks and arranged for actuation by a passing vehicle.

4:. A point shifting apparatus comprising in combination, bars connected with the points and each having a plurality of studs, a lever pivotally mounted between said bars for locking the same in their adjusted positions, said lever having a plurality of cam surfaces, cam blocks for engaging said surfaces to operate said lever, said blocks having cams for engagement with said studs to operate said point bars, trip levers connected with said cam blocks and arranged for actuation by a passing vehicle, and means adapted for operation at a remote point and connected with certain of said trip levers for preventing operation thereby by a passing vehicle.

5. A point shifting apparatus comprising in combination, a bar connected with the point and provided with studs, a lever for locking said bar in its position of adjust ment, and an actuating bar engaging said studs to shift the point bar and having a cam for operating said lever.

6. A point shifting apparatus comprising in combination, bars connected with the point and having a plurality of studs, a lever pivotally mounted between said bars for ing operation of said trip-levers by passing 10 looking the same in their adjusted position, vehicles.

said lever having a plurality of cam sur- In Witness whereof I have hereunto set faces, cam blocks for engaging said surmy hand in presence of two Witnesses.

faces to operate said lever, said blocks hav- T ing cams for engaging With said studs to DH\O DAVIDE SAMAIA' operate said point bars, and trip-levers con- Witnesses:

nected with said cam blocks for actuation ALBERTO P0121,

by passing vehicles, and means for prevent- Gr. BIGZARRI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

